Bonds appeals dates set
The prosecutions’ appeal in the Barry Bonds case is on the accelerated calendar:
The U.S. Court of Appeals in San Francisco said in a filing today it’s expediting the government’s appeal of the ruling. The judge barred positive drug tests and other evidence unless they are supported by testimony from Greg Anderson, Bonds’s former trainer, who has refused to be a witness.
Government lawyers must file arguments for overturning the ruling by June 1. Bonds’s lawyers must respond by July 1. A hearing on the arguments and a decision are to follow.
Not too much to read into this other than the notion that the issues on appeal are pretty straightforward. This is fabulous for bloggers, though, because the accelerated calendar means shorter briefs, thereby allowing us to more easily pretend to be experts.
Funny, when I saw the appeal was due June 1, I assumed your “accelerated calendar” comment was tongue-in-cheek. Silly me!
Nothin’ moves quickly in the law. I just filed an appeals brief today on the putative “accelerated calendar.” It was an appeal from a ruling issued on October 3, 2008.